There is an old saying — or maybe it’s a joke and maybe it’s not so old — that goes something like you’ve gotta spend money to save money. Does that principle apply to spending money on partial dentures in Port Moody to avoid the ongoing dental expenses associated with ongoing tooth decay leading to repetitive tooth loss?
There are, of course, many ways to lose a tooth. The costs and consequences of a tooth extraction are clear and precise enough to consider. If a badly infected tooth must be extracted to eliminate that serious tooth infection, that will come at a financial cost. Even if that infection is successfully arrested before it spreads to other teeth, though, the costs will continue to mount. After all, you’ll either suffer a loss in dental function if you choose not to replace that extracted tooth or will be required to spend significant further dollars to replace that tooth. Just how expensive that will be depends on what tooth replacement option you choose. Options range in expense from a traditional bridge to a dental implant.
If you only lose one tooth, then that’s the end of it. But what if you lose more than one tooth, or you keep losing individual teeth over time because of progressive tooth decay or gum disease? At what point will the costs of dealing with one tooth at a time overwhelm the cost of replacing all or many of your teeth all at once with complete dentures in Port Moody (whether traditional removable dentures at one end of the cost spectrum or implant-supported All on 4 dental implants at the opposite end of the same spectrum)?
Answering that question is, of course, impossible in a vacuum. Deciding whether to continue to respond to individual incidents of tooth loss on a case-by-case basis rather than deciding to replace most or all of your natural teeth is a decision that should be made in close consultation with your dentist. Two questions that you should discuss with your dentist as part of that discussion would be:
- Is there some systemic reason that you’re suffering repeated individual tooth loss, or are you the victim of bad luck and coincidence?
- If you are experiencing some systemic vulnerability to tooth loss, can it be identified and treated successfully in order to maintain a reasonable critical mass of natural teeth in one or both arches?
- As between responding to individual incidents of tooth loss and clearing your natural teeth for replacement with dentures near you, which option is best for your health?
- As between responding to individual incidents of tooth loss and clearing your natural teeth for replacement with complete or partial dentures near you, which option is most cost-effective?
As you can see from the suggested questions above, the conversation is likely to be a complex one but one that is solvable from a dental and financial perspective. The unknown in the analysis is the emotional component of your experience. Depending on your age, lifestyle, self-esteem and perception of health and well-being, what will it mean to you to give up remaining natural teeth in favour of artificial teeth (however advanced those artificial alternatives may be). While your dentist will be willing to participate in a discussion of those issues, that conversation should also include loved ones, family members and emotional supports. It does not seem like an overstatement to suggest you might experience a sense of loss and grief at the prospect of giving up seemingly healthy natural teeth in favour of prosthetic solutions for merely economic reasons (assuming there are no compelling health reasons for doing so).
Does it seem like we’ve not answered the question? We haven’t. The choice would be a difficult one to make and one that must be informed by information and considerations that extend far beyond the field of dentistry. Having said that, your dentist will be as supportive and helpful as possible while participating in the discussion and decision-making process to the extent that is helpful. Whatever treatment-related questions you may face from time to time, don’t hesitate to reach out to a dentist near you for support and advice.